What does Médoc have to do with Grand Crus?
Grand Crus - these are wines from wineries in the Médoc that belong to the classification of 1855. This classification was created for the first time specifically for wine from Bordeaux. This means that wineries that have their wine-growing region in the Médoc and fulfill various criteria were classified.
By the way: In 1855, dessert wine from wineries in Sauternes and Barsac was also classified. Sauternes and Barsac are both wine-growing regions and appellations. Like the Médoc, these regions are located in Bordeaux, in the southwest of France.
The classification of Bordeaux wines from the Médoc only includes the first wines (also called main wine or grand vin) of wineries. Of course, some wineries also produce second wines, but these were not taken into account in the classification.
In the Médoc, the following appellations belong to the Bordeaux classification of 1855:
-
Haut-Médoc
-
Margaux
- Pauillac
- Pessac-Léognan
- Saint-Estèphe
- Saint-Julien
What all appellations have in common is that they are located on the left bank of the Gironde river. The so-called left bank is often used when talking about wine from Bordeaux. Of course, there is also a right bank of the river. The right bank in Bordeaux refers to the Saint-Émilion appellation and the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation.
The Grand Crus from the Médoc, i.e. the left bank, are top-class wineries. These Grand Crus are called so because the quality levels of the classification have the wording "Grand Cru". In 1855, selected wineries from the Médoc were classified and hierarchically divided into five groups.
Even back then, a classification was always closely linked to the quality and price level of a wine. This resulted in the following five levels:
- Premier Grand Cru Classé
- Deuxième Grand Cru Classé
- Troisième Grand Cru Classé
- Quatrième Grand Cru Classé
- Cinquième Grand Cru Classé
This classification of wine from the Médoc has always been maintained. Only once was a winery upgraded:
In 1973, Château Mouton-Rothschild was promoted from the Deuxième Grand Cru Classé to the Premier Grand Cru Classé. The winery owes this fact to the then French Minister of Agriculture - Jacques Chirac.
When it comes to classifying wine from the Saint-Émilion wine-growing region, however, wineries must reapply at regular intervals to be classified.
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